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Probably not the best time to travel to HK with old folks or young children. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp...1112046/1/.html

Share the news http://www.------.com/news/news.php?news...83&pageid=1

Enjoy.... http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/F5iw7VNpN8Y/

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has sent out a warning to flat owners: Do not sublet your flats illegally. In a statement today, it said: 'HDB would like to emphasise the severity of unauthorised subletting. HDB flats are meant for owner occupation.' A housing agent who had three cases of illegally subletting flats without prior approval from the HDB is learning this the hard way. HDB has taken legal action to repossess his flat, and will be doing the same for the other flats he sublet without authorisation. In 2007, Mr Poh Boon Kay, a registered real estate agent with five other properties, bought his 4-room Bukit Batok flat at $150,000 without any loans, listing his wife, Mdm Khoo Kim Cheng as occupier. However, in November 2009, HDB discovered that Mr Poh was actually subletting the flat - without HDB's prior approval - to 3 Burmese couples (six adults and one child) at a monthly rent of $1,900. Mr Poh and his family were not residing in the flat. Two weeks later, HDB informed him that unless the unauthorised sub-tenants are evicted, HDB would take compulsory acquisition action. As the subtenants continued to stay in the flat, a Notice of Board's Intention to compulsorily acquire the flat was served on December 23. On the same day, he said the sub-tenants had signed an undertaking that they would vacate the flat by the end of December. Mr Poh appealed the next day, claiming that he rented out the flat to the sub-tenants while they worked out their finances in order to buy the flat from him. When interviewed, he and his wife claimed they did not know that they needed to seek prior approval from HDB before subletting the flat, or that they needed to fulfill the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) of three years before they are eligible to do so. Two other cases of illegal sub-letting HDB subsequently discovered that Mr Poh is related to two more cases of unauthorised sub-letting. In the second case, he acted as the housing agent for his 91-year-old aunt, whose flat was sublet without HDB's approval to Burmese monks at a monthly rent of $1,400 since July last year. They had used it as a meditation centre, with monthly rents paid out to Mr Poh. The third case involved his daughter's Telok Blangah flat which was again sublet without HDB's consent to subtenants for $900 a month. According to a statement released by the HDB, "With these further instances of unauthorised subletting related to Mr. Poh, his claims that he is "unaware" of HDB rules cannot be substantiated. Furthermore, these regulations are publicly available from many sources such as HDB's InfoWeb or service hotline. There is clear evidence that Mr Poh, a housing agent by profession, has been intentionally abusing HDB flats for monetary gains." HDB has now taken legal action to compulsorily acquire Mr Poh's flat. It plans to take the same action towards his aunt's and daughter's flats as well. HDB ramps up enforcement against unauthorised subletting The Housing Board said it would take action in those who commit this infringement, from penalties that ranged from fines of $1,000 to $21,000, to repossession of flat. 56 owners have received these penalties from January 2008 to December 2009. Flat owners who wish to sublet their whole flat must obtain approval from HDB and fulfil the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP). The current MOP for the subletting of flats is as follows: Flats bought directly from HDB: 5 years Resale flats purchased with CPF Housing Grant: 5 years Resale flats purchased without CPF Housing Grant: 3 years They must also comply with HDB's terms and conditions. For instance, the maximum number of subtenants allowed. 1-Room and 2-Room flats are allowed a maximum of four persons, 3-room flats can have 6 persons, while 4-Room and bigger flat types can have 9 persons in total. Residents are encouraged to call HDB's dedicated hotline at 1800-5556370 [Monday to Friday - 8am to 5pm] to report any suspected cases.

Three other teams were in the running to secure the sponsorship backing of the state-owned Malaysian oil company Petronas in 2010. Vice president of corporate services Ahmad Nizam Salleh revealed that, as well as considering staying with Sauber, Petronas looked into supporting Williams or Lotus. Ultimately, Petronas signed a long term deal to become title sponsor at Mercedes GP, although Salleh told the Bernama news agency that the sponsorship will be reviewed "from year to year for the next five years". "Four teams were short-listed -- Williams, Sauber, Mercedes and Lotus," he is quoted as saying by The Star newspaper at Mercedes' livery launch in Stuttgart earlier this week. "But Mercedes offered the best package and what they asked for was quite attractive," Sallah added. He said the decision to sign with Mercedes was made before Michael Schumacher agreed to return to F1 this year with the German marque. "Schumacher's return makes for bigger visibility and it is an unexpected mileage for us," said Salleh. "We heard rumours that he was thinking of coming back to F1 when we started the negotiations, but he was still attached to another team (Ferrari) and we had no inkling at that point that he was signing up," he added.

From. Mr. Obeng. Email: [email protected] Dear friend, It's my pleasure having you contacted today, I'm Mr. Patrick Obeng the regional manager of one of Rural Banks in Ghana, Am 48 years old married with two lovely kids. And I want to trust you with amount of US$3million which is presently available for our benefit. I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit both of us. As regional manger of our bank, is my duty to send auditing report to our bank head office in the capital city Accra-Ghana at the end of each business year. On the course of last year (2008) business report. I discovered that my branch in which am the manager made Three million united state dollars (US$3,000,000.00) which our bank head office does not aware of. Further my private investigation I discover that this money is part of unclaimed deposited funds in our bank by a late foreign customer here in Ghana before his death since 2006 without any beneficiary information and also no trace of his family nor relatives because is a foreigner. But as an official in our bank I can not be directly have access to this money. So my aim of contacting you is to seek for your partnership to team up with me and receive this money with your bank account and get 50% of the total fund as commission for your partnership. Lastly, the transfer will be bank to bank transaction without any problem because every necessity has being done to ensure safe and successful transfer of the fund to your bank account, all I need from you is to stand claim as the foreign depositor and title holder who deposited the fund with the bank to enable our bank head office release the fund to your bank account. I will be very grateful if you accept to team up with me to achieve this great opportunity together please urgently reply me on [email protected] and call me on +233244107428 for voice conversation. Regards, Mr. Obeng.

Survey shows three quarters of Singaporeans feel secure in their jobs Despite the gloomy unemployment forecast, more than three quarters of working Singaporeans feel confident that their present job is secure. Based on a survey by TNS and Gallup International, just 30 per cent of Singaporean workers think there is a chance they might join the ranks of the unemployed this year. But if they do get retrenched, the majority fear it would take them a long time before they secure another job. Only 17 per cent of Singaporeans believe they would be able to find a new job fairly quickly. In this respect, Singaporeans are more pessimistic compared to the global average of 31 per cent. More than three quarters (78 per cent) say that unemployment will rise this year. Singaporeans also expect this year to be worse for them than last year. Just one in five (20 per cent) Singaporeans think that it will be better.

Three turns at F1 circuit along Marina Bay set to be named By Ian De Cotta, TODAY | Posted: 05 February 2009 1020 hrs SINGAPORE: Ayrton Senna. Alberto Ascari. Jim Clark. All of them Formula 1 world champions, all speed demons immortalised at some of the world

NO JOKE. SINGAPORE IS A MURDER HUB OF ASIA NOW.

STOMPer JT sent these photos of the scene of an accident involving three cars at the junction of Clementi Road and Ulu Pandan Road at about 4am today (14 Oct). "Three-car collision between a Lotus Elise, Nissan and a Mercedes cab at the junction of Clementi Road and Ulu Pandan road occurred about 4am on 14th Oct 2007," the STOMPer said in an email today. "There were bad injuries but no casualties during the time when the ambulance arrived," JT said. STOMP contacted the Police, which said it received a call at about 3.50am about an accident involving three cars at the junction of Clementi Road and Ulu Pandan Road. "Two passengers were sent to the National University Hospital. Both were conscious," a spokesman said. http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/viewPost6039.aspx

Read in today ST in regards to 3 men being charged in court and sentenced for dealing with countraband cigarettes smuggled into Singapore. The smuggled cigarettes were found inside 33 coffins. A total of 3,719 cartons were seized with a street value of $334,791/-. What will these peoples think of next , inorder to bring in the countrabrand cigarettes into SG.

Man in China dies after three-day Internet session Mon Sep 17, 2007 6:08 AM ET Loke like he engage in Xtreme 'sports'!!! BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese man dropped dead after playing Internet games for three consecutive days, state media said on Monday as China seeks to wean Internet addicts offline. The man from the southern boomtown of Guangzhou, aged about 30, died on Saturday after being rushed to the hospital from the Internet cafe, local authorities were quoted by the Beijing News as saying. "Police have ruled out the possibility of suicide," the newspaper said, adding that exhaustion was the most likely cause of death. It did not say what game he was playing. China, worried about the spread of pornography and politically incorrect content, has banned the opening of new cybercafes this year and issued orders limiting the time Internet users can spend playing online. In April, President Hu Jintao launched a campaign to rid the Internet of "unhealthy" content and make it a platform for Communist Party doctrine.

Much to no one

ST 17/04 THINKING of tinting your car windows? Read on, because overdoing the tint could land you a hefty fine - or even a jail term. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) issued 382 summonses last year to motorists with illegally tinted vehicle windows - three times the tally in 2005. Tinting is allowed, as long as the rear windows allow at least 25 per cent of light to pass through, and the front windows and windscreen allow at least 70 per cent. The rules are different in Malaysia: There, all windows must let in half the light, while the windscreen must allow in 75 per cent. The LTA said tinting violations here soared last year mainly because it had stepped up enforcement in response to public feedback. People make many other illegal modifications to their vehicles, the most common being to the exhaust pipe. Wrong tints on windows are the next most common violation. All in, LTA acted on 1,430 cases last year, about the same as the 1,416 cases in 2005. Figures in earlier years were as high as twice that. Although you can replace the tailpipe of your car or motorbike with something snazzy from an accessories shop, it must meet requirements by the LTA and the National Environment Agency. Other illegal modifications that the LTA has cracked down on pertain to lights - either the fitting of additional lights or unapproved decorative ones. Even stepping up the wattage of the headlights is not allowed. All in, about a dozen modifications have been outlawed. Most motorists know they cannot modify the engine and gearbox, and that the bodykit cannot protrude beyond the bumpers. But not many people know, for example, that disabling the switch that automatically turns on a motorbike's headlights is illegal. The switch became mandatory in 1997. Motorcyclist Tim Liu-McIntyre, 38, said this important safety feature makes the motorcyclist more visible to other motorists. The editor of The Peak magazine said he was riding with his headlights on in the day time even before it became mandatory. 'In bad weather, it'd be suicidal not to,' he said. Another little-known regulation requires that any car with a chassis deemed 'badly damaged and beyond repair' be scrapped, the LTA said. Industry observers said motor insurers regularly auction off damaged cars which they deem uneconomical to repair. However, some of these end up being repaired anyway - and sold to unsuspecting buyers. Mr Lee Nian Tjoe, 29, editor of Torque motoring magazine, said: 'Of all the rules, this one is probably the least enforced.' Motor trader Vincent Ng, 42, said this was an undesirable practice as the vehicle's crashworthiness would have been compromised. The product manager of Honda agent Kah Motor said it would be ideal if the residual taxes paid on the damaged vehicle - especially one that is fairly new - could be transferred to a new car. Those caught making illegal modifications to their vehicles can be fined up to $1,000 or jailed up to three months. Repeat offenders face twice the penalty. If you are not sure what is allowed, call the LTA at 1800-2255-582.

I guess there are many silliporeans fuelled the car replacement trend in SGP the last few years. Looking at the trend, is it possible to see $1K or $5K COE in the near future? I know it's wishful thinking, but I believe there will be a time when the trend will slow down and if there is not enough bidders for CAT A or B. Aren't we getting $1 COE? Maybe by then, the gahmen may just decide to reduce the COE quota, basically come back to square 1 and COE goes up. ================================================================================ ========== Trend worries green groups, car workshops and even economists-Straits Times 3rd July 06 CARS on the road here are less than three years old, fuelled by an early-scrapping trend that has not lost steam despite counter measures introduced in 2002. Besides motor workshops and inspection centres which have been seeing a slowdown in business, the trend worries environmentalists. Singapore Environment Council executive director Howard Shaw said: 'It's yet another manifestation of our use-and-throw society. It's not something we'd encourage.' According to estimates based on Land Transport Authority figures, 66 per cent of the 450,000 passenger cars here were less than three years old at end-June. About 85 per cent of them are less than five years old. This makes Singapore possibly the country with the newest cars. Even in Japan, one of the top exporters of used vehicles, the average age of a car is six years. In America, the average age of a car is 10 years. In New Zealand, it is 12 years. The dubious honour of having the youngest fleet comes at a price. Since 2000, Singapore has scrapped or exported more than half a million vehicles. This is because reduced taxes, lower COE prices and cheaper financing have brought down new car prices substantially, and diluted the resale value of existing ones. Hence, owners scrap or export their cars to recover the residual taxes. Often they are able to buy new, cheaper cars without having to pay higher monthly instalments. Mr Shaw said: 'A huge amount of energy goes into making a car and shipping it here. We encourage people to keep their cars right up to the 10th year.' Scrapping cars early has also been highlighted by economists as a drain on the country's foreign exchange earnings. While new car salesmen and car owners have good reason to be cheerful, business continues to be slow for motor workshops and inspection centres. Workshop operator Bernard Low, 60, said: 'If I had not branched out to Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur, I would have had to close shop.' A spokesman for ComfortDelGro Corp, parent company of vehicle inspection firm Vicom, said: 'Demand for vehicle inspections has fallen. But we remain confident that there will be fewer deregistrations going forward.' She said this was because a change to the scrap rebate formula has resulted in much less residual tax values for cars registered from 2002. But Mr Neo Nam Heng, a leading exporter of used vehicles, pointed out that an average of 9,500 vehicles were deregistered in the first five months - little changed from last year. 'We are seeing 2003 and 2004 cars in our yard now. But we would have to monitor over the next two months to see if the figures change.'

Which babe(s) most chio??? (vote three max)

We're 3 days shy of one little anthracite blue Mk2 Toledo turning 3 but seeing I probably won't be able to log this on her birthday (yes, I'm pretty much convinced mine's a "she" ) and to-date, I am still pretty much proud to say I'm glad I chose her over the rest three years ago. Stats - 1.6m 5-speed manual anthracite blue, stock except for Mintex Red's (K&N recently got discarded "accidentally" ). Was on Pirelli p6000's, now Bridgestone g3's. Mileage - 66000+ (a lot lower than a certain black one... ) Fuel consumption (km/ltr): Best ever - 14.1 (NS highway blast) Worst ever - 8.9 (don't ask me what I was doing then.... ) Average - 11.5 Repairs and reliability - contrary to popular belief and despite countless doomsayers, I'm proud to report, apart from wear-and-tear issues and minor niggles (all listed below) she's been pretty much trouble-free. Repair costs and part replacement have also, contrary to general perception, been pretty reasonable. Unplanned repairs to-date: - sagging roof lining which I didn't notice (replaced under warranty) - faulty aircon vent (changed twice under warranty) - 12-volt plug in boot not working (blown fuse, replaced under warranty) - rear wheel hub (overtightened bolt snapped, replaced by now-mercifully-defunct dealer after some major haggling) - faulty temperature sensor ($20) - brake pad change (can't remember price for pads, labour free ) - broken dipstick ($12) - blown gasket, oil leak (gasket replaced - $70 incl workmanship) - clogged throttle valve (after blast up and down NS h'wy) - blown front indicator, orange bulb ($5) - front passenger window lifter module replacement ($330 - incl workmanship...ouch!) - complete transmission shift linkage replacement ($240 - incl workmanship - very pleased with outcome ) Agenda for the coming year - timing belt (ouch time.... ) - clutch - possibly another window module Likes to-date - build quality for a car of its range still impresses 3 years on - toys, toys and more toys (cruise control, ICE with speed-sensitive volume adjustment and split front-rear function control, trip computer, built-in rear blind which I hardly use, great 6-disc CD changer, digital climate control) - decent handling (not the best) in stock form, not-too-firm ride - surprisingly stable at highway speeds - usually ignored, which I really appreciate in M'sia (some say she's Korean..... ) - damped grab handles.... - huge boot - poor resale value - decent power to haul the family Dislikes to-date - lack of cubby holes - nonsense radio reception (then again, there's not much to listen to.... ) - tempremental alarm (especially in my 1st year of ownership ) - in-dash changer means a joke-of-a glovebox - fragile dipstick - squealy brakes in the morning with Mintex pads (sounds like an SBS bus when I leave for work....) - rubbery, inconsistent (and seemingly mood-dependent) gearshift, made worse by wear-and-tear - monster boot compromises rear legroom - lacks power when I'm alone In short, I'm definitely looking forward to spending a couple more years with her...

Nissan to launch 40 new models in three years to 2008: report TOKYO : Japanese automaker Nissan aims to launch about 40 new car models and spend 1.2 trillion yen (10.9 billion dollars) on research and development in the three years to March 2008, a report said. The mid-term plan set to be announced Monday is meant to make it part of the world's third biggest auto group together with its largest shareholder, Renault SA of France, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said. Sales at Nissan are projected to reach 4.5 million vehicles by March 2008, up 50 percent from the year to March, the paper said, citing company sources. Ford Motor Co., the world's current third largest automaker behind General Motors Corp. and number two Toyota Motor Corp., sold 6.72 million vehicles in 2003. Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. spokesman Yasuhito Chinone said the report was mere speculation. "It is a totally speculative article," he told AFP Sunday. "We have not announced such a thing and there is no truth to it." Chinone said the company would explain its mid-term plan Monday when it unveils its earnings results for the year to March. The paper reported that Nissan would boost its research and development staff to 20,000 by March 2008 from the current 15,000, expand production facilities in Thailand and Indonesia and open an assembly plant in Egypt. Top shareholder Renault holds a 44.3 percent stake in Nissan. - AFP

Panizzi Takes Three Points in Lancer WRC04 at Rallye Monte-Carlo Tokyo, January 26, 2004 - Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and MMSP, the holding company for MMC's worldwide motor sport activities, contested the opening round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) last weekend and scored points in their debut outing after a year's sabbatical for the series. The tiny Principality of Monaco hosted Rallye Monte-Carlo and 38-year-old Gilles Panizzi claimed sixth overall in the first event for the new Lancer WRC04. Three points in both the Drivers' and Manufacturers' Championships was a fitting reward for the whole team. Rolf Eckrodt, CEO and President of MMC, said: "After a year away from the series we are very happy to get points in our first event. We have a passion for motor sport and a history of high performance and teamwork and we are delighted to be back in the World Rally Championship, the pinnacle of motor sport besides Formula One. Our results are borne from our strong challenging spirit. Mitsubishi Motors will continue to pass the technical knowledge it gains through racing competition to our customers who drive our products." Adding to his comments, Sven Quandt, MMSP's Head of Motorsport, said: "To have scored points like this, when the car is still so new and we also have new drivers, is quite exceptional; we are delighted with the team success in our first event back in the World Rally Championship. Two weekends ago we won the Dakar Rally and last weekend we made a successful return to the WRC. Points have been a great bonus at the start of this challenging year. These results demonstrate Mitsubishi's commitment to motor sport." "I am very happy," added Gilles. "We did not make a lot of testing and of course we are all completely surprised we have not had more problems the first time the car has run in these conditions. To finish and score points is very good. I am confident with the team and the car, and this is the start of a new chapter in my motor sport career; I have found a good team." With the introduction of the Japan Rally in the 2004 series, MMC is also focused on its home event and will be looking to set an electrifying pace on the north island's gravel stages in September.

The new 3-dr Astra from Vauxhall/Opel has broken cover! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Three-door Astra Gets In Shape Vauxhall's stunning three-door Astra has broken cover, revealing its swooping roofline and daring coup